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Summary of reviewsThe Kirkwall Hotel offers a remarkable stay with particular praise for its prime location, stunning views and excellent customer service. Nestled right on the harbour, it provides guests with breathtaking views and convenient access to ferries, buses and local attractions like the nearby cathedral and museums. The central positioning further enhances the experience, placing shops, cafes and the charming old town within a comfortable walking distance.
Guests commonly commend the breakfast offerings, enjoying a variety of well-cooked and delicious dishes, including hearty meals and perfectly cooked boiled eggs, often with a scenic view of Kirkwall harbour. Despite some mixed feedback regarding buffet choices and occasional service delays, many visitors find the breakfast experience satisfying and enjoyable.
The hotel's restaurant has garnered positive feedback for its superb dishes and elegant ambiance. Patrons frequently highlight the exceptional quality and presentation of the food, making dinner a memorable part of their stays. Although the dining experience can be somewhat marred by slow service during busy times, the overall sentiment remains favorable, bolstered by the helpful and kind restaurant staff.
Rooms at The Kirkwall Hotel have been thoughtfully renovated to combine modern comforts with stylish decor. They are frequently described as spacious, clean and beautifully updated with the sea view rooms receiving special acclaim. While some guests found certain rooms a bit small, the majority appreciated the comfort, excellent bathrooms and consistent maintenance, contributing to a pleasant stay.
Cleanliness is a strong point for the hotel with many guests remarking on the tidy and well-maintained state of their accommodations. The recent refurbishments and adherence to COVID-19 precautions further enhance the sense of safety and cleanliness. A few isolated incidents were noted, but they do not significantly detract from the overall positive perception.
The staff at The Kirkwall Hotel are frequently praised for their exceptional service with the reception and restaurant teams described as welcoming, friendly and helpful. Guests appreciate the willingness of staff to assist with specific needs, enhancing their overall experience.
Finally, the hotel stands out for its incredibly comfortable beds, consistently praised for contributing to a restful night's sleep. Guests often highlight the quality of the bedding, emphasizing the significant role it plays in their overall satisfaction with their stay.
In summary, The Kirkwall Hotel offers a highly enjoyable stay with its superb location, excellent service, comfortable rooms and delightful dining experiences, making it a favored choice for travelers visiting Orkney. Show more
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Categories
Hotel Taking Steps Towards Sustainability
Hotel for Honeymoon
Family Friendly Hotel
Dog Friendly Hotel
Accessible Hotel
3-Star Hotel
Room Types
Double Room with Sea ViewThis en suite room has a harbour view, flat-screen TV and tea and coffee facilities.
Double RoomThis en suite room has a flat-screen TV and tea and coffee facilities.
Twin RoomThis en suite room has a flat-screen TV and tea and coffee facilities.
Junior Suite with Sea ViewThis suite comes with 1 living room, 1 separate bedroom and 1 bathroom with a shower and free toiletries. This suite has a tea and coffee maker, flat-screen TV, sea views, as well as chocolate for guests. The unit has 4 beds.
Twin Room with Sea ViewFeaturing free toiletries, this twin room includes a private bathroom with a shower and a hairdryer. This twin room has a tea and coffee maker, flat-screen TV, sea views, as well as chocolate for guests. The unit has 2 beds.
Guest Reviews
8.3
Very Good
Location
The Kirkwall Hotel boasts a prime location in Kirkwall, offering guests unparalleled convenience and scenic views. Nestled right on the harbour, the hotel's position is superb for both leisure and transport with easy access to ferries, buses and the nearby cathedral and museums. Its central location places it within walking distance to shops, cafes and the charming old town, making it effortless to explore the local culture and amenities.
Guests appreciate the hotel's proximity to the ferry terminal, which is particularly convenient for late arrivals or early departures. The central positioning also means that parking is accessible and often available close by. Many reviews highlight the magnificent views of the town and bay, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to their stays.
Whether coming for the picturesque views over the waterfront, the ease of travel or the rich local history accessed on foot, visitors find the hotel's location perfectly suited to enhance their Orkney experience.
Breakfast
The Kirkwall Hotel offers a breakfast experience that receives mixed feedback from its guests. On the positive side, many reviewers praised the breakfast for its excellent quality, describing it as delicious, well-cooked and generous. Several guests appreciated the variety of options available with some highlighting the hearty meals, perfectly cooked boiled eggs and tasty porridge with fruit. The breakfast menu and buffet were often noted as good with hot dishes quickly served directly from the kitchen. Guests also mentioned enjoying their meals with a pleasant view of Kirkwall harbour, further enhancing their dining experience.
However, some guests felt that the breakfast was not up to their expectations, citing limited choices in the buffet and moments when the breakfast was not very hot. Others found the additional cost for breakfast, on top of their room rate, to be unreasonable. A few guests encountered issues with the kitchen being closed or no breakfast provided, leading to disappointment.
Despite these drawbacks, the overall sentiment leans towards a positive breakfast experience at The Kirkwall Hotel with many guests commending its quality and variety, making it a notable part of their stay.
Dinner
The Kirkwall Hotel's restaurant has garnered considerable positive feedback for its dining experiences. Guests frequently praised the excellent food and superb dishes, often describing their meals as delicious and beautifully presented. Both breakfast and dinner received high marks for their quality with many noting the exceptional steak and the fantastic overall taste of the food. The restaurant's ambiance also caught guests' attention, being elegantly and tastefully decorated.
However, the dining experience was not without some drawbacks. Several guests reported slow service during dinner and long waits even with reservations, indicating that the popular restaurant can get quite busy. While the food was generally good, a few found it to be bland and unambitious on occasion.
Despite these minor issues, the restaurant staff were mostly helpful and kind, contributing to the enjoyable dining atmosphere. Overall, the Kirkwall Hotel's restaurant remains a favored spot for memorable meals with its combination of great food and welcoming service standing out in many reviews.
Rooms
The Kirkwall Hotel boasts stunning, spacious rooms that have recently undergone thoughtful renovations, elevating their comfort and modern appeal. Guests often highlight the modern decor, clean and well-presented interiors and the impressive views, especially from sea view rooms. Many rooms are described as beautifully or stylishly updated to a high standard with notable mentions of comfortable beds and excellent bathrooms.
The hotel offers a range of room sizes with some guests experiencing the luxury of very large, spacious accommodations, while others have found the rooms to be on the smaller side. Despite some size limitations, the rooms are still noted to be very clean, comfortable and well-decorated.
A frequent point of praise is the quality of the refurbishments, which have clearly elevated the overall guest experience. Rooms feature modern bathrooms and amenities like towels, tea and coffee are consistently replenished.
While some reviews mentioned rooms being too warm or stuffy, others appreciated the warmth and comfort provided. Overall, guests report positive experiences with the renovated rooms, attractive decor and the excellent sea views, making The Kirkwall Hotel a delightful stay.
Beds
The Kirkwall Hotel stands out for its exceptionally comfortable beds, consistently praised by its guests. Many reviewers highlight the beds as some of the most restful they have ever experienced, often using adjectives such as "amazingly", "extremely" and "very" comfortable. Not only are the beds commended for their comfort, but the quality of the bedding also receives positive remarks, described as "comfy" and "great". Guests frequently mention that the beds contributed significantly to their overall satisfaction with their stay, alongside modern amenities such as new en-suite shower rooms. Overall, the consistent feedback points to The Kirkwall Hotel as a top choice for travelers who prioritize a good night's sleep.
Cleanliness
The Kirkwall Hotel offers a generally positive experience when it comes to cleanliness with many guests highlighting the property's cleanliness and comfortable ambiance. Numerous reviewers described the rooms as clean, well-maintained and very comfortable. The recently refurbished areas, including rooms and the restaurant, garnered praise for being very clean and stylishly updated, enhancing the overall appeal.
Guests appreciated the hotel's adherence to excellent Covid-19 precautions, which contributed to a sense of safety during their stay. Words like spotless, clean, fresh and modern frequently appeared in the reviews, reflecting the consistent upkeep of the rooms. The hotel's decor also received favorable comments, noting both its updated and lovely appearance.
However, there were a few negative remarks, such as cleaning staff leaving clean towels on corridor floors, a used towel found behind a bathroom door and a small room with limited maintenance cleanliness. One reviewer mentioned dirty stain on a cushion and another pointed out that the room windows could be cleaner. Despite these isolated incidents, the overall consensus was that the Kirkwall Hotel is a lovely place to stay with a strong focus on cleanliness and guest comfort.
Staff
The staff at The Kirkwall Hotel consistently receive high praise from guests for their exceptional service. The reception team is described as lovely, welcoming and particularly helpful, often going the extra mile to assist visitors. The restaurant staff also earn commendations for being very helpful and efficient. Overall, there is a strong emphasis on the friendliness and accommodating nature of the entire team with many reviews noting how staff members were not only pleasant but also willing to engage and fulfill specific needs. Housekeeping services, including the meticulous placement of clean towels, are appreciated, contributing to an overall impression of top-notch service. Despite a few mentions of areas for improvement, such as the check-in process, the overwhelming sentiment is one of outstanding staff performance, making guests' stays comfortable and enjoyable.
No, The Kirkwall Hotel doesn't have any pool.
No, a spa isn't available at The Kirkwall Hotel.
Yes, The Kirkwall Hotel welcomes dogs.
No, parking facilities aren't available at The Kirkwall Hotel.